Simulated pitching mechanism for baseball batting practice



A. SEGRETTO Dec. 5, 1961 SIMULATED PITCHING MECHANISM FOR BASEBALL BATTING PRACTICE Filed Dec. 28, 1959 INVENTOR SE6 T70 41 AWL- ANGELO A TTO/PNEKS' QQ m% 3 a i Q E F J 1v Q 3 mm, Q

hired States 3,011,784 Patented Dec. 5, 1961 3,011,784 SIMULATED PITCHING MECHANISM FOR BASEBALL BATTING PRACTICE Angelo Segretto, 539 Porter Ave., San Jase, Califi, assignor of one-half to Joaquin E. Furtado, San Jose, Calif.

Filed Dec. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 862,264 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-26) The present invention relates to baseball, and pertains more particularly to a batting practice mechanism whereby a baseball can be delivered to a batter standing in a simulated batters box with speed and control comparable to that of a major league pitcher.

In the game of baseball, every player on the team, regardless of the position he plays, must bat in designated sequence, and the batting ability of a player, and of a team, is of tremendous importance. Batting is one of the most difiicult phases of the game to practice, since the best way for a player to improve his batting ability is to practice hitting balls pitched by a capable pitcher. However, no pitcher can be expected to use the same efiort in pitching to batters for practice as he does in a game, since to do so might unduly tire, or even injure, his pitching arm. Furthermore, no team has enough good pitchers available to give the entire team much effective batting practice.

While previous attempts have been made in the past to develop mechanisms for delivering simulated pitched balls to a batter for practice, most of such mechanisms have not delivered a ball which would follow a desired path from a pitchers position to a simulated home plate,

or if it did, the control of such ball was not all that couldbe desired.

The present invention provides simple and eifective means for delivering a ball from a simulated pitchers position, past a batter standing in a simulated batters box, and over a plate beside the batters box, together with means for indicating whether or not the ball pitched was a called strike in the event that the batter did not swing at the ball as it passed him.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplified mechanism for delivering simulated pitched balls over a plate corresponding to the home plate of a baseball diamond for batting practice by a batter standing beside such plate.

These, and other objects and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic, perspective view of an apparatus embodying the present invention, an alternate position for a ball tethering post being indicated in broken lines, the path of a high ball being indicated in dash lines, and of a low ball in dash-one-dot lines.

FIG. 2 is a! plan view of FIG. 1, the path of a curve ball being indicated in dash-three-dot lines, the path of a ball passing over the inside corner of the plate being indicated in dash-one-dot lines, and one over the outside corner of the plate being indicated in dash-two-dot lines;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of a ball, and means for attaching said ball to the elastic tethering cord, portions of the ball and of the elastic cord being broken away.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a modified form of ball for use in pitching curved balls.

Briefly, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a plate 10, simulating the home plate of a baseball diamond, a back stop 11, and a strike zone 12 indicated thereon. A stationary anchor, in the form of a tethering pole 13 is provided at the upper end of the back stop 11 for connecting one end of an elastic tether ing cord 14 thereon. A ball 15 is connected to the other end of the tethering cord 14, and one or more markers 17 are provided along aline 18 from the center of the strike zone marker 12, through the center of the plate 10, for marking selected distances at which the tethered ball 15 may be released. The greater the distance from which the ball 15 is released, the greater will be the velocity at which the ball will travel past a batter 19 standing adjacent the plate 10.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the illustrated back stop 11 comprises a pair of parallel, upright side frame members 20 and 21, each of which is provided with a widened base portion 22 for supporting the back stop 11 in upright condition. Upper and lower transverse members 23 and 24 are secured to extend transversely between the uprights 20 and 21, and the area bounded by the uprights 20 and 21, and the transverse members 23 and 24 is covered with suitable ball-arresting material, such as a rectangle of canvas 25, stretched taut. The strike zone 12 preferably comprises a rectangle of canvas of a different color from the remainder of the back stop material 25 and is suspended from the upper transverse member 23 by cords 26. The upper edge of the strike zone 12 should be located at the height of a batters shoulders, and the lower edge thereof should, of course, be at the height of the batters knees. The strike zone marker 12 is the same width as the plate 10 and is located directly behind the plate.

The size of the back stop 11 is not critical, but may be approximately ten feet high so as to stop many of the foul balls which may be struck by the batter. The tethering pole 13, illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 1, is of a suitable height, and may extend approximately one foot above the back stop 11 so as to make a total height of approximately eleven feet to the top of the tethering pole 13. However, the path followed by a ball released by a pitcher may be changed as required by raising or lowering the point of attachment of the tethering cord 14 to its anchor means. A guy wire 27 extends from the tethering pole 13 rearwardly to a suitable anchor, such as, for example, a stake (not shown) driven into the ground.

The tethering cord 14 may be, either wholly or in part, of suitable elastic or spring material, such as, for example, the covered rubber strand material known as shock absorber cord. The other end of the cord 14 from that secured to the anchor means 13 has the ball 15 attached thereto. The tethering cord 14 is of a length to extend, when stretched to a desired tension, from the tethering pole 13 to a marker 17 on the ground 28 a selected distance straight out from the center of the strike zone 12 through the center of the plate 10. This distance may be varied as desired by releasing the ball from selected markers 17, to thereby impart a desired speed to the ball as it passes the batter 19. Obviously, the more the tethering cord 14 is stretched, the more potential energy is stored therein for propelling the ball 15 along its pitched course.

The entire tethering cord 14 may comprise a single length of suitable elastic cord material, or it may comprise a shorter portion 14a (FIG. 1) of elastic or spring material, with a piece 14b of strong, non-elastic cord for the remainder thereof. The required total length of the tethering cord 14 may be determined by attaching one end thereof to the tethering post 13, and the other end thereof to a ball 15. The ball, thus connected, is carried back to a selected marker and released.

In addition to the horizontal component of force exerted by the stretched cord on the ball 15, there is also exerted an upward component of such force induced by the upwar slant of the cord 14 tending to counteract the force of gravity, which otherwise would cause the ball to drop. By observing the flight path of the ball thus released the need for adjustment, if any, will be indicated. If the ball passes over the center of the plate at a required velocity and strikes the center of the strike zone marker 12, the adjustment is satisfactory. In the event that the ball thus. pitched passes the batters plate '10 at too low a velocity, either the length of the cord may be shortened, so that it will be stretched more in carrying the ball out to the selected marker, or the ball may be carried out to another marker, for example the marker 170, located at a greater distance from the plate 10. If the ball travels too fast, either the length of the cord 14 may be increased, or the pitcher may release the ball from a marker, for example the marker 17a, closer to the batter.

The means 'for connecting a ball, such as the ball 15, FIG. 3, to a tethering cord 14 is not a material part of the invention, and numerous satisfactory ways for accomplishing this will, of course, suggest themselves to a person of ordinary skill. As illustrated in FIG. 3 however, a short length of cord 29 is doubled upon itself to form a loop and both free ends 29a of the loop thus formed are inserted in a hole 30 drilled or otherwise provided in the ball 15. The inserted loop end portions 29a, together with the interior of the hole 30, may be coated with a suitable adhesive substance 31 such as, for example, an activated epoxy resin, to secure the loop firmly to the ball. A terminal eye 32 may also be formed in the tethering cord 14 of a size to permit the ball to be passed therethrough, so that by inserting the bight of the eye 32 through the loop 29 secured to the ball. 15, and then passing the ball through the eye 32, the well known type of connection shown in FIG. 3 will be made. f

In using the illustrated embodiment of the invention, with the strike zone marker 12 centered directly behind the plate 10, and with its lower edge at the height of a batters knees, the batter 19 takes his position in a selected one of the batters box 33 or 34, with his bat 35 inhis hands. It will be assumed that the length and elasticity of the tethering cord 14 have been. adjusted so that a ball released by a pitcher standing at a selected one of the markers 17 will pass over the center of the plate 10 at a desired speed and height. The player 37 who is to do the pitching takes the tethered ball 15 and moves back to a selected marker, for example the marker 17d, thereby stretching the elastic tetering cord 14. 'He then releases the ball 15, which is drawn, at high velocity, toward the'batter 1 9.

If the ball 15 is released by the pitcher 37 directly over the line 18 extending from the center of the strike zone 12 outwardly through the center of the plate 10, the pitch will, with a solid ball of the type shown in FIG. 3, be drawn by the cord 14 to pass over the center of the plate. As the ball approaches the batter, the energy of the stretched cord 14 will be expanded, and thereafter the ball will travel under its own momentum, over the plate 10. The resistance of the air on the trailing portion of the cord 14 tends to position the attaching loop 29 on the opposite side of the approaching ball from the batter, and he swings at it as if it were a naturally pitched ball.

If the pitcher 37 wants to pitc the ball 15 over the inside corner of the plate 10, at the moment of release he gives the ball 15 a slight toss laterally, toward the batters side of the plate, and the ball will then travel toward the plate as an inside pitch, as shown in the dash-one-dot line in FIG. 2. In the event it is desired to pitc one over the outside corner of the plate, the ball may be given a slight toss in the opposite direction, in which case the ball will follow the course indicated by the dash-two-dot line in FIG. '2. By directing such initial toss either upwardly or downwardly, the ball can be caused to pass over the plate either high, as shown in the dash line in FIG. 1, or low as shown in the two dash-dot line in FIG. 1.

By giving the ball quite a substantial initial toss in one direction or the other as desired, the pitcher can even cause the ball to go outside the strike zone for 21 called ball. These pitches may be easily controlled by the pitcher. Even a fairly young child, if he is strong enough to stretch the tethering cord 14 suificiently to carry the ball 15 out to a required marker 17, can, with a little practice, provide pitching equal in velocity, and even superior in control, ,to that of a major league pitcher.

For pitching a curved ball instead of a straight ball, a ball 39 (FIG. 4) having one or more holes 40 therein, may be substituted for the solid ball 15 shown in FIG. 3. Both balls preferably are of the approximate size of a regulation baseball, but, may be lighter than such regulation ball so as to reduce the probability of injury in the event that a batter should be hit by a pitched ball.

It has been found by experiment that the position, size, type, or even the number of holes in the ball 39 is not critical on the curving effect of the ball, at least as understood at present. Experiments are continuing on the eiiect of difierent types and locations of holes in the ball. However, the important point is that by providing a ball with one or more holes therein, a curve pitch will be produced' Instead of anchoring one end of the tethering cord 14 to the post 13 on the back stop 11, a substitute tethering pole 41 may be provided having an upright portion 411:, and a laterally extending top portion 41b, terminating at a desired height above the center line 18. As illustrated, the substitute pole 41 may even be installed a desired distance forwardly of the plate 10. This forward location of the tethering means has one advantage over the rearwardly mounted tethering means 13, in that if a batter swings late, that is to say afterthe pitched ball has passed him, he is less apt to encounter the tethering cord with his bat. Furthermore, a forwardly mounted tethering means 41 permits the use of a shorter tethering cord. On the other hand, the longer cord may allow its propulsive action to continue for a greater proportion of the balls flight.

The invention provides a simple, low cost, and highly effective means for delivering the equivalent of an expertly pitched ball by almost anyone who is capable of carrying the tethered ball '15 or 39 back to a selected marker 17 and releasing the ball as illustrated and described herein.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the; present invention, it will be under stood, however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims.

'1. Baseball batting practice mechanism for delivering a simulated pitched ball to a batter comprising in combination a simulated home plate, a back stop in back of the plate, a strike zone marker on the front of the back stop and directly in rear of the plate, a simulated pitchers box located on a straight line from the center of the strike zone centrally through the plate and at a distance from the plate approximating that of a pitchers box from the home plate of a regulation baseball diamond, stationary tethering means mounted directly above the line from the strike zone marker to the simulated pitchers box, an elastic tethering cord connected at one end thereof to the stationary tethering means directly above the said line, and a ball of the approximate size and weight of a regulation baseball connected to the other end of the tethering cord, the position of thetethering means and the length of the tethering cord being such as to require a substantial stretching of the cord in carrying the ball attached thereto to the simulated pitchers box, and to permit the ball to move to the back stop with the cord in unstretched condition, the tethering means being located at a height to exert a substantial upward, gravity countering force on such ball when released from such simulated pitchers box for propulsion at high speed over the plate and toward the strike zone marker by the retraction to normal of the thus stretched cord.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the ball has a hole therein for causing the ball to travel along a curved path when so released.

3. Baseball batting practice mechanism for delivering a simulated pitched ball to -a batter comprising, in combination, a simulated home plate, a strike zone marker centered directly in rear of the plate, a simulated pitchers box located on a straight line from the center of the strike zone centrally through the plate and at a distance from the plate approximating that of a pitchers box from the home plate of a regulation baseball diamond, stationary tethering means mounted directly above the line from the strike zone marker to the simulated pitchers box, an elastic tethering cord connected at one end thereof to the stationary tethering means directly above the said line, and a ball of the approximate size and weight of a regulation baseball connected to the other end of the tethering cord, the position of the tethering means and the length of the tethering cord being such as to require a substantial stretching of the cord in carrying the ball attached thereto to the simulated pitchers box, and to permit the ball to move to the strike zone marker with the cord in unstretched condition, the tethering means being located at a height to exert a substantial upward, gravity-countering force on such ball when released from such simulated pitchers box for propulsion at high speed over the plate and toward the strike zone marker by the retraction to normal of the thus stretched cord.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the tethering means is mounted on the back stop.

5. An arrangement according to claim 3 wherein the tethering means comprises an upright post portion mounted at one side of the line from the plate through the simulated pitchers box, and forwardly of the plate, and a transversely extending top portion extending to a point over such line, the tethering cord being adapted to be connected to the transverse portion directly over such line.

6. Baseball batting practice mechanism for delivering a simulated pitched ball to a batter comprising in combination a simulated home plate, a simulated pitchers box located on a line extending straight out from the center of the plate and at a distance from the plate approximating that of a pitchers box from the home plate of a regulation baseball diamond, stationary tethering means mounted directly above such line, a resiliently extensible tethering cord connected at one end thereof to the stationary tethering means directly above the said line, and a ball of the approximate size and weight of a regulation baseball connected to the other end of the tethering cord, the position of the tethering means and the length of the tethering cord being such as to require a substantial extension of the cord in carrying the ball attached thereto to the simulated pitchers box, and to permit the ball to move past the plate with the cord in unextended condition, the tethering means being located at a height to exert a substantial upward, gravity countering force on such ball when released from such simulated pitchers box for propulsion at high speed over the plate by the retraction to normal of the thus extended cord.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,511,430 Schonberg Oct. 14, 1924 1,708,796 Lawrence Apr. 9, 1929 1,879,316 Kleb Sept. 27, 1932 

